An incident at a family holiday for Sharif and Nazia could have ended in tragedy if not for the intervention of a neighbor, an elderly doctor named Dr. Spinster. Here is the story of several decades in the life of two families: a university teacher who came to the English city of Sheffield for new opportunities - or fleeing dictatorship and imminent danger? - and a British doctor and his four adult children. In the novel “Friendly,” Philip Hensher discusses more pressing topics than ever: the crisis of the family, civil wars in third world countries, the perception of another person with different life experiences and views. This book is about what truly divides people - skin color or education, worldview or standard of living? About what a person is ready for for the sake of his neighbor, what feats and crimes.